Chapter 6
Lizzie
It’s Friday now, and it’s almost time to go out for church tonight. I can’t believe how quickly the last couple of months have flown by. It’s felt like no time has passed but also like all the time in the world has gone. I’m literally leaving to go back to Belgium two weeks from today.
Two weeks and I’m back to the land of adventures.
To get to know my dad’s family even more and figure out what life will look like moving forward.
I’ve loved getting to know them. Memories flutter through my mind of all my time there—my uncles laughing at dinner with guests every Tuesday, the girls I’ve taken care of lighting up with laughter, the beautiful views I get every single day, the enchanting small towns that feel like a storybook novel come to life.
Belgium has been the most wonderful adventure—I feel like I’ve been able to spread my wings and fly while living there.
I’ve always been someone who’s organized, someone who works really hard.
But I’ve also thrived on spontaneity and learning so much along the way.
Still, I don’t know what the future holds.
What will life look like when I’m back there? Will I be going back and forth between different countries again? At times that has been absolutely thrilling. The amount of Europe I’ve been able to see has been a gift of a lifetime I didn’t know I’d get.
But there is a part of me that craves some sort of stability. Not to feel secure… but to feel like I’m not moving aimlessly. While I’m spontaneous, I’m not someone who wants to wander through life without knowing where I’m going.
I slide open the louvered closet door so I can pick out a dress for tonight.
My parents’ house really is the perfect description of a Brazilian farm house.
The smell of coffee, the breeze carrying in the scent of humid earth, the humming of cicadas.
The tropical plants and trees outside, the blue shutters, the clay-tiled roof, the hammock out back—all of them bring the northeast of Brazil to life for me.
Brazil carries so many good memories for me.
Even these closet doors are just another reminder of that.
Just then, Gabby bursts through the door of my room.
“Do you have superhero hearing or something?” I ask her.
She lies down on her side and props her head up with her hand, as if she’s ready to immerse herself in my world for the rest of the day.
“No, why?” She gives me a cheeky grin.
“It’s like you just knew I was opening my closet, about to pick out an outfit for tonight, and that I would need help.” I motion to my closet of clothes.
She hops off the bed and walks toward the options hanging inside. I’ve got a lot of stuff back in Belgium, still hanging in that closet. My options here are a little more limited and a little less trendy. But I’m hoping to find something that feels a little timeless—or at the very least just cute.
“I may have had an inkling you’d be doing that soon, considering we have to leave for church in the next hour.
I also maybe wanted to come in and make sure we pick out the best dress for you.
I know what colors look good on you… and which ones you need to stay far away from.
Like on-another-planet far away.” She motions her hands like she’s throwing a basketball out the window, demonstrating the colors that apparently I shouldn’t dare think of wearing.
I chuckle. “Wow. I didn’t realize there were some colors I looked that bad in.”
“I don’t think it’s that you look bad in them. It’s that nobody should wear them. Although, I have to say, I never used to like neons. But Jane Fonda definitely made me want a leotard and leg warmers to match. Maybe it’s just a trend.” She shrugs and moves closer to the closet.
She knows so many American celebrities that I’ve barely even heard of.
Gabby is just the definition of cool. She’s in college, she loves the trends, and she’s got her finger on the pulse of what’s going on around us.
She’s also so beautiful that once, a man crashed his car after staring at her too long in moving traffic.
He didn’t realize the guy in front of him had stopped.
But her humor and heart are what really win everyone over. She’s all in with her love.
She’s everything a girl could want in a sister.
She rummages through each option, frowning at some, ooh-ing and aah-ing over others, until she finally picks out a black dress. She pulls it out and presents it like a grand reveal.
“This. This is the one.”
I look at it in her hand and gape at her.
“Do you not think that’s a little… much? For church?”
She makes a show of contemplating it, then shoves it directly at me.
“No. This is perfect. You’re going out after church. So it only makes sense that you wear something a little extra nice!”
I take it and hold it up, inspecting it.
It feels a little much for an evening out.
I know I’m crashing this guy’s dinner and all, but I’m not entirely sure it’s a date yet.
I don’t even know if he’s my kind of handsome.
Or if there’s really anything to this at all. Because I’m leaving in two weeks.
I really should be wearing that written on a sash tonight: “I’m leaving in two weeks!”
But there’s always something about a black dress that makes a girl feel confident.
I put it on, and it slips on like a glove. The fabric is perfect—not too heavy and not too light for today.
Whether I meet the man of my dreams tonight, or whether I’m just dining with a few people before I leave, I think this one really is perfect. Sometimes you just have to live a little. Who cares if I’m a bit overdressed, really?
“I guess it should work. I’ll move onto my makeup then.”
I move toward the vanity, a small desk in the corner with a mirror on it.
I reach for my makeup in the drawer, where I always keep it.
I don’t go heavy on makeup; I like to keep it more natural.
But one thing I never go out without is lipstick.
And earrings. If I ever had to choose just one item of makeup and one accessory, it would be those.
Lipstick lights up the face like nothing else, and earrings compliment everything perfectly.
That’s essentially my girl motto: never go out without lipstick or earrings.
“Now let’s talk about Nate.” Gabby lies down on my bed with her head in her hands and her feet kicking behind her.
When she does that, I know exactly where she’s heading—straight into la-la land. I’m a total romantic, but I don’t want to jump into that just yet. It’s not even a confirmed date.
“I don’t know Nate. I haven’t even seen him.” I start applying a little sparkly brown eyeshadow to the crease of my eyelid. It’s perfect for tonight.
“I know Nate. I’ll point him out to you tonight. I think he might be your type.” I see her through the mirror, pumping her eyebrows suggestively.
“I’ve only got a couple of weeks left here. It’s not like I’m about to fall head over heels in love all of a sudden,” I scoff. It’s just a night out with the pastor and his wife and this guy called Nate. A nice night out where I may or may not meet a handsome man, and that’ll be that.
“You never know,” she sings. “Aren’t you at least a little bit excited?”
“Yeah, of course. But unless this guy really blows my socks off, I’m not thinking it can be anything.
I mean, I live in Belgium. A long-distance relationship isn’t really feasible for me right now.
Love letters are romantic, but living a continent away and barely being able to communicate?
International calls are so expensive. No thanks.
” I wave that thought away. “But I am looking forward to just having a nice night out with a potentially—and hopefully—handsome man.”
I sound so unlike myself. I’m normally the romantic in the room. But all of those concerns are valid, so right now I’m leading with them. I haven’t even seen him!
“He is. I honestly think you’ll like him. Let’s see if you guys hit it off.”
I catch my mom in the mirror, leaning against the door. She’s got that look I’ve come to recognize. She knows something I don’t—and I have no idea what it means yet.
I reach for my earrings.
“Hey, Mom,” I say.
“Hi, filhinhas.” Her little daughters. We really are.
She walks toward the bed and sits down. “I was listening to everything you were saying just now. I’m with Gabby. Give the guy a chance. Maybe you’ll hit it off.”
I throw her a look.
“Mom, the pastor basically just hijacked his dinner. I don’t think the guy is really thinking this is a major date or anything.” I roll my eyes.
The two of them exchange a conspiratorial glance, and I sigh. A double date is great, but I’m not about to consider throwing all of my plans away for a guy I haven’t even met yet.
“I’m just looking forward to a nice night out, and that’s it,” I say, applying the finishing touch to my outfit—the lipstick.
My sister claps her hands and jumps up.
“Alright, I’ve gotta throw on some new clothes for tonight too.”
“Oh really? I thought your swimsuit would be perfect to go to church in.” I grin at her.
She rolls her eyes.
I laugh. “Alright I’ll be out in fifteen minutes.”
I move into the living room before Gabby’s ready to go so I can spend a little time with Pimenta.
He’s a beautiful bird, I have to say.
“Okay Pimenta. Can you say almond?” I offer him a small piece of the almond I’d seen earlier.
Squawk. “No almonds. Strawberries please.” Squawk.
I laugh. “You’re turning into a tiny fruit dictator. You’re so clever,” I say, grabbing some leftover strawberry from my plate. I’d had a little fruit bowl earlier and still had a tiny bit left.
“How could you think he’s anything but clever?” Gabby says as she walks in from the hallway.
I roll my eyes. “I always knew he was clever. I just didn’t realize he was in the habit of requesting strawberries.”